MEP calls for all drugs to be legalised

ALL drugs - including heroin and crack cocaine - should be legalised, North West MEP Chris Davies has said. Mr Davies, the Lib Dem leader in the European Parliament, said current policies were failing and called for licensing and regulation instead.

ALL drugs - including heroin and crack cocaine - should be legalised, North West MEP Chris Davies said tonight.

Mr Davies, the Lib Dem leader in the European Parliament, said current policies were failing and called for licensing and regulation instead.

"Across Europe there is increasing consideration being given to a re-think about drugs policy," he said.

"The European Parliament earlier this year said we are going in the wrong direction - harm reduction must be made a priority, prohibition is simply not proving a successful strategy."

Mr Davies said his proposal was not party policy. But he told the BBC Radio 4 PM programme: "There is a danger of giving the wrong signals here, that drugs are somehow safe. I do not believe that. What I say is that existing policy is not working and government can't simply derogate responsibility to the criminal market."

Cannabis was last year reduced from a class B to a class C drug. But ministers are reconsidering the move because of claims it causes mental illness.